INSULIN – A HEALTH DETERMINANT

Our meals are transformed into glucose during the metabolic process. Glucose is the fuel for our cells. How does glucose transport to our cells? Thanks to insulin.

Blood transports glucose. Glucose level rises after eating and insulin helps in its transportation to cells by activating its receptors inside cells. Whenever we eat too much – our blood glucose level is too high. But insulin manages this issue – it transports the excess to the liver. There, it is transformed into glycogen. Glycogen is then transported to skeletal muscles and the excess stays in the liver as energy supply for the organism. When there’s no place left in the liver and we keep eating without losing energy – insulin starts to transport glucose to fat cells where it’s transformed into triglycerides.

This wonderful mechanism made sense in ancient times, where we had to hunt to get food. Times without food where essential as they let the liver get rid of the excess. Also, exercise that was essential to get food, let the organisms loose energy. Nowadays, we take food straight from a shelve in a grocery store and the only exercise we have is getting in and out of the car. In addition, if we eat a lot of sugars and highly processed food, it’s more than likely that we’ll end up obese.

In an organism that keeps getting energy but doesn’t lose it, insulin doesn’t work well. A constant glucose excess makes pancreas overproduce insulin. Unfortunately, fat tissue (high level of triglycerides) disrupts pancreas’ functioning, by excreting free fatty acids into blood. Such state is called insulin resistance.

However, insulin resistance may also occur when you’re not obese. Sometimes, it’s caused by overproduction of hormones antithetic to insulin, hardly ever is it caused by genes. Risk factors also involve age, alhocol usage, cigarettes, lack of exercise and wrong diet.

Insulin resistance brings you one step closer to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and liver steatosis!

I decided to write about it as it is one of the most dangerous consequences of neglecting your organism – being on an unhealthy diet without any exercise. You just need to start leading a healthy lifestyle and you won’t be in the insulin resistance risk group anymore. It’ll be much harder when you’re already insulin resistant as basic system mechanisms are already disrupted. Think about it every time you feel like fast food. Think about it every time you don’t feel like exercising – it’s worth it!

Take care of ourselves and our loved ones!